Tag: gluten-free

Jack O' Lantern on the Halloween party
Food Allergies October 27, 2016

Halloween: Keep Your Custom Eaters Safe from Forbidden Foods, Not Just Pesky Ghouls

Food Allergies October 27, 2016
Five Ideas for Frightfully Festive Cocktail Hour Fare Halloween parties are a fun opportunity to get creative while maintaining that special balance between making everything look creepy and delicious at the same time. It’s almost an art form and the catering craft has certainly seen its share of epic wins and brutal scares. One thing that shouldn’t be scary on Halloween is knowing whether the food is safe to eat. Anyone with food allergies can attest to the difficulties inherent in eating at parties. Add to that the additional vigilance needed when meals are disguised for a theme and it…

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Laws & Regulations June 28, 2016

How to Buy: 19 Food Labels You Need to Understand

Laws & Regulations June 28, 2016
Food labeling has become an extremely big concern for consumers. In fact, an increasing number of consumers have been losing faith in food labels because of incorrect labeling and misleading terms. In particular, labels such as, organic, healthy, and natural are not always understood and can mean different things to different people, which can greatly impact the price of many foods. Many consumers confuse the term natural with a non-GMO product or an organic label with a product that is grown sustainably. Here are 19 of the top terms you might find on product packaging today so you can truly…

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Medical Conditions May 25, 2016

6 Celiac Disease Myths for Celiac Awareness Month

Medical Conditions May 25, 2016

There has been an incredible public movement toward gluten free foods, gluten free recipes, and gluten-free options at restaurants. Yet, even with all this gluten-free talk, lifestyle changes, and diet restrictions, there are still myths that are very commonplace. [heading size=”24″]Myth 1: Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity Are the Same Things[/heading] Not even close. Celiac Disease isn’t an allergy to gluten as many people often mistake. It is an actual autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley) causes damage to the small intestine. An estimated 1 in every 100 people has celiac…

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Food Trends from 2015
Trends December 22, 2015

Launch into the New Year with the Best Food Trends from 2015

Trends December 22, 2015

From Bar Carts to Beer, Here is How and What We Ate in 2015 As 2015 comes to an end, it’s time to review the lessons of the past year and welcome a new year of successes and challenges. Let us know what you thought of the best food trends from 2015. [list icon=”icon: check-square-o” icon_color=”#d81c5c”] Restaurants and events have seen a return of bar carts for cold and warm dishes. This vintage touch has the benefit of transportation efficiency and satisfaction of the immediate supply of additional condiments and other requests. Gourmet comfort foods were added to menus across the nation this year.…

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Food Allergies Laws & Regulations December 15, 2015

Allergy Labelling in the European Union: How Confident is the Freefrom Customer when eating out?

Food Allergies Laws & Regulations December 15, 2015

Food businesses and their staff need more training to better manage the expectations of the FreeFrom customer A year ago the European Union enacted EU1169 requiring that all food served directly to consumers – pre-packaged and unpackaged – list any of the 14 food allergens they contained. Our friends at Food Allergy Training Consultancy (FATC) wanted to see how the freefrom community thought food service business were doing in meeting the regulations for allergy labelling in the European Union. Below are the results from the survey they did, reprinted with permission from Food Allergy Aware. Since the European Union introduced the Food Information Regulations…

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Dietary Needs Medical Conditions May 13, 2014

What is Celiac Disease?

Dietary Needs Medical Conditions May 13, 2014

In yesterday’s post, I wrote about gluten and all its disguises in packaged foods and catering menus. Today, I’m defining Celiac Disease and gluten sensitivity. What is Celiac Disease? Celiac Disease is a genetic autoimmune digestive disorder (the immune system attacks the body when certain foods are eaten) that damages the villi of the small intestine, interfering with the absorption of nutrients needed for good health. Continued exposure to gluten can result in malnourishment—vitamin and mineral deficiencies—and other conditions such as anemia, osteoporosis, neurological disorders and more. Originally thought to be rare, celiac disease is now recognized as one of…

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What is Gluten?
Dietary Needs May 12, 2014

What is Gluten?

Dietary Needs May 12, 2014

Last month I sat in a session at a meetings industry conference on catering for food allergies. Since I had just given a similar session for the same conference (Serve This, Not That!), I wanted to see what this caterer had to say. In the session, one of the attendees asked the chef/owner of the catering company if it is possible to accommodate many different dietary needs with one menu item. He said yes and proceeded to describe a vegetarian, gluten-free barley salad they serve. STOP! Barley is not gluten-free. I told him this and he said, “Really? I didn’t…

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Lent dietary practices during meetings
Recipes Religious Dietary Practices February 26, 2013

Lent Brings Challenges for Event Planners When Menu Planning

Recipes Religious Dietary Practices February 26, 2013

Two weeks ago the season of Lent began on Wednesday, after a traditional pancake supper the night before. During this annual ritual, millions of Christians all around the world commence a 40-day period of sacrifice, reflection and “spiritual housecleaning” in preparation for Easter. Though the exact timing varies between sects, the liturgical season typically starts on Ash Wednesday and ends just before Easter Sunday, and is meant to represent the period Jesus wandered alone in the desert. The word Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon work “lencten,” which means spring. Similar to making New Year’s resolutions, some use the time to…

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